Motley w



(No Model.)

N. W. WORTHAM &-, J. I. J. BELL.

COTTON THINNER AND GULTIVATOR.

No. 352,599. Patented Nov. 16, 1886.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NOTLEYWV. WORTHAM AND JAMES'I. J BELL, OF MONROE,GEOBGIA.

COTTON THlNN ER AND CULTIVATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,599, dated November16, 1886.

Application filed July 26, 1886. Serial No. 209,138. (No model.)

- Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CottonThinners and Cultivators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of cot-.

ton-thinners in which the operation of thinning is performed by rollersprovided with alternate rolling or crushing surfaces and recesses; andit consists-in providing a roller with arim formed of blocks adjustablearound the periphery of said roller, whereby the size and number of therecesses are regulated.

The invention also consists in the combination, with said roller, of acultivator and guards or fenders, as hereinafter fully set forth, and asrepresented in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents aperspective view of the improved cotton thinner and cultivator; Fig. 2,a side elevation showing the roller, pivoted frame, and one of theguards at the sides of the roller removed from the main frame; and Fig.3, a cross section of the roller.

The main frame A consists of side beams, 2 2, secured at the front endsto a crOsspiece, 3, to which the draft is applied, and connected at therear ends by an adjusting screw-rod, 4, provided with nuts 5, wherebythe said rear ends of the beams may be'drawn together or separated.Handles 6 6, such as are used in cultivators, are secured to the rearends of the beams, and are adj ustably connected by abracing screw-rod,7.

Within the frame A a frame, B, is pivoted at one end by means of a rod,10, and consists of sidebars, 8 8, and end pieces, 9 9, the pivot-rod 10passing through the said bars 8 and extending into or through the sidebeam, 2 2, of the frame A, back of the cross-piece 3. The said rod 10may be used to separate or draw together the front ends of the beams 22.

A roller, 0, has bearings in the side bars, 8, of the frame B, and asshown, consists of a cylindrical body portion, formed of side disks orplates, 11 11, held together by bolts 15, each disk having on the innerface and near the periphery an annular groove, 12. A sectional rim isformed of blocks 13, in number either sufficient to complete the rim orto leave one or more spaces or recesses therein, and each provided witha dovetail lug or tongue, 14,wh1ch projects between the plates and atthe sides into the grooves 12, while the body of the block is exteriorto the said disks. The disks may be drawn together to-clamp the blocksin any desired position, and are separated to permit the adjustment ofthe same around the periphery of the roller without removing the lugsfrom the grooves. The sides of each block are beveled or radial, so thatthe blocks when placed in contact will fit snugly one against the other,and we prefer to bevel the ends of each block, so that the face will beof greater length than the back and extendbeyond the sides of theroller, as shown in Fig. 3. To the frame B, at the sides of the roller,are attached guards or fenders D, the front ends .being pivoted to thesaid frame by the rod 10 or by bolts, and the rear ends bent upward andprovided with slots 16, and secured adjust-ably to the rear end of theframe by bolts or screws passing through the said slots. We also providea scraper,17,such as is usually employed with land-rollers, and secureit on the frame B, at the rear of the roller, to keep the face clean.

We attach plowsor coverers E to the frame A, near the rear end thereof,by any suitable means, but prefer to usefor each plow a standard with abifurcated upper end, 18, embracing one of the beams 2 2, and we placeon the upper and lower sides of each beam, between the forks of thestandards, corrugated or grooved plates 19. Each standard is secured tothe beam by bolts passing through the two parts of the end 18, above andbelow the beam, and resting in the grooves of the plates 19. As thebolts do not pass through the beam, each standard may readily beadjusted and secured at any point thereon.

The blocks forming the rim of the roller having been adjusted andsecured so as to form between them one or more recesses in said rim,each fender is set a suitable distance above the ground and the plowsand beams 2 2'are also properly adjusted, and the operation isasfollows: On being drawn over the ground the rim of the roller will crushall the plants, except where the recesses are brought opposite theplants, which enter the recesses and are not acted upon. By moving orremoving the blocks the recesses may be formed at any desired points ofthe periphery and of any desired number and width.

The guards or fenders prevent injury to plants adjacent to the roller,and also serve to clear the roller from sticks orother obstructions thatmay enter the recesses in the rim thereof.

The roller being connected to the main frame by the pivoted frame, itwill pass over inequalitiesv in the field without lifting the plowsattached to the said main frame.

On removing the frame B, with the roller and guards, the frame A, with asuitable number of plows attached, may be used as a cultivator. I

It is evident that means of attaching the roller to the main frame otherthan by the pivoted frame may be employed, and that the guards may beattached to the main frame or may be dispensed with. It is also evidentthat other means than those described may be used to retain the blocksin movable connection with the cylinder and to permit the adjustmentthereof.

If a sufficient number of blocks be used to complete the rim, the rollermay be used for any purpose to which a roller is adapted.

Without limiting ourselves to the precise construction and arrangementof parts shown, we c1aim- 1. In a cotton-thinner, a roller provided witha sectional rim formed of blocks adj ustable around the periphery ofsaid roller,

'whereby any desired number and relative size of recesses androlling-surfaces may be formed without removing the blocks,substantially as described. r v

2. In a cotton-thinner, a roller having a body formed of disks or platesandblocks arranged at intervalsaround the periphery of the body, andmeans for clamping the blocks adj ustably between said plates,substantially as described.

3. A cotton-thinner consisting of a frame carrying plows or coverers, aroller with a rim provided with alternate crushing-surfaces andrecesses, guards or fenders at the sides of the roller, and pivotedconnections between the roller and frame, substantially as described.

4. A cotton-thinner consisting of the main frame A, pivoted frame B,roller 0, with alternate crushing-surfaces and recesses, and

adjustable guards or fenders D at the sides of p the roller,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

NOTLEY W. WORTHAM. JAMES I. J. BELL. Witnesses:

M. G. MICHAEL, L. ScHEvENELL.

